


Atonement

by WoahThereMatey



Series: Age of Winter [3]
Category: Ikenfell (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Flashbacks, Gen, Gilda is supportive, Maritte is a worried mess, Pertisia and Safina don't really get along, Petronella wants to help Safina, Reminiscing, Rook is very concerned for Safina, Safina has a lot of regrets, Safina is a mess, Safina redemption, Safina stop it, The power of friendship, You get an apology, and maybe when they were not, and you get an apology, bad memories, but its used to repair other friendships, everyone gets an apology, get some help, i mean can you blame him, is the understatement of the century, so nobody sees any holes in this plan at all, they're both trying their best, thinking back to when times were simpler
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-04
Updated: 2021-02-09
Packaged: 2021-03-15 20:35:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 16,751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29195397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WoahThereMatey/pseuds/WoahThereMatey
Summary: Safina thought about the past. All the things she’s done. Both good, and also bad.But mostly the bad.Safina won’t deny that she’s done some really messed up stuff. Hurt many people. Burnt many bridges.So, she has a plan. A plan to make amends, and fix her mistakes. What's the worst that could happen?
Series: Age of Winter [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2199975
Kudos: 2





	1. Reflection

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the third part of the "Age of Winter" series. However, I have tried to write this in a way that you do not have to read the previous fics to understand it. The previous will just give a bit of context.  
> If you are not interested in reading the first fic of the series, feel free to read this by itself! Otherwise, click "Age of Winter" and click on "After the End" to get started.
> 
> Enjoy!

She never thought she’d see this.

She never thought she’d see the day where everything falls apart. She never thought she’d see the day where everything finally backfires on her. Takes a turn for the worst.

And the best part? She has only herself to blame. Nobody or nothing else. Just herself.

Safina sat in her chamber. It had been one day since she officially joined the Coven, this being her first night as an official member.   
  
What should feel like a great honor instead felt like… nothing. She almost felt… hollow? Like she didn’t deserve this. No, she didn’t, and yet here she was anyway.

She supposed she could at least finally start doing something right. She could finally use her powers and her talent for good. She was tired of using it for her own gain. Especially now that she’s seen it spectacularly blow up right in her face.

The irony.

She thought back to the few days prior.

She remembered exactly what happened on that fateful day. And by Wala, she wished she could forget. Both humiliated by the very one she relentlessly mocked and teased, and also really, REALLY messed up Aeldra. That poor, poor soul.

* * *

“It’s time for everyone to learn the truth…” Safina briskly strode towards the Spirit Oval, where the Summerstone would be. She made great haste, lest she get caught. It would no doubt be her end if she was found out. Luckily for her, nobody seemed to notice. Not even the headmistress herself had taken action yet, even though she was now more than aware of her meddling.

But alas, it was not meant to be. It wouldn’t be that simple.

“Hey, Safina!” Gilda called.

She didn’t have time to deal with her right now. There was work to be done!

“Hey! I’m talking to you!” Gilda barked. She blocked Safina’s way with a field of lightning, prompting her to stop dead in her tracks.

Wait, when did… what is that?

Safina slowly turned around, not wanting to believe it was Gilda who cast it.

Sure enough, it was. She stood before her, with her very familiar grin. “Surprised? As am I! But now that I have these powers… there’s one thing I can finally do…” Gilda smirked, balling her fist. It crackled with lightning.

“Humiliate YOU in a duel!”

Safina’s stomach dropped. Now? Right now of all times?

“L-listen, I’ve really got to-” Safina tried turning back around but noticed the field was still there.   
  
“Nope! You’re not getting out of this one, Safina! Now, take THIS!” Not even giving Safina time to react, she struck Safina with a powerful blow, sending her reeling.

Safina brushed herself off, regaining her footing. Normally she’d have a snarky comment to make or anything else of that nature, but just this once, she had nothing to do but remain silent.

She teleported out of the way of the next bolt that nearly struck her.

How did she get so good in so little time?   
  
There was a small crowd gathering. And who could blame them for taking interest? Gilda was widely known as one of the weakest in terms of magical ability on the grounds, and now she was giving the famed Safina Hildegaard a run for her money!

Safina managed to take control of a few bolts and return them to Gilda, but she was quick to counter them with just more to overpower the ones she just took.

Her own attacks paled in comparison to Gilda’s, too. Safina’s magic was strong, yes, but attacking was more of a secondary function. It was best used defensively, or for other practical use outside of battle. Gilda had just the right kind of magic for the occasion.

Just the right kind of magic to put her in her place.

Safina used various spells in an attempt to delay the inevitable. She tried making dummies of herself, but the sheer number of attacks wore them all down before they could have any meaningful effect. Teleporting out of attacks became taxing, and Gilda eventually learned to predict where she’d end up. Trying to control her attacks was a futile effort. And her own attacks did little.

How humiliating.

Safina got struck by another bolt, dropping to one knee.

Gilda cheered, with excited and confused murmurs coming from the crowd. “I WIN!”   
  
Gilda walked over to Safina, who refused to look at her. She squatted down, tipping her chin upwards, forcing Safina to look her in the eyes. “Didn’t expect that, did you~”   
  
Safina grunted. How could she lose to HER of all people!?   
  
Gilda dramatically sighed, walking away. The crowd eventually dispersed, leaving Safina kneeling there alone.

She gritted her teeth.

“No… I’ve still got something to do. Forget about that humiliating loss!” Safina got up and looked back.

She just barely saw a smudge of bright green in the distance. Brighter than the grass, the plants, and the trees.   
  
Oh no.   
  
She was running out of time. “She’s coming. I think… I think I can still make it!”

Safina tried to teleport, but thanks to that duel, she was now completely drained. She had no magic left.   
  
Safina swore under her breath. Looks like she had no choice but to run.

She would NOT fail.

…

Safina took a moment to catch her breath.

She made it to the Summerstone. On the surface, it seemed harmless. Pleasant, even.

But she knew better. Her latest invention tought her so.

“To think she’d entrap such a thing inside this…” Safina sighed. “No longer.”   
  
Safina now had enough magic left in her to conjure up one more attack. One that would be good enough to shatter the summerstone.

...and to free the-

“Enough of this, Hildegaard! Step away from the Summerstone immediately!”   
  
Aeldra had caught up to her.

Safina sighed, gesturing to the Summerstone before her. “Don’t you see, Aeldra? Don’t you see what you’re doing by keeping that thing trapped in there?”   
  
Aeldra simply looked at her in shock. “Are you out of your mind!? If unleashed, that magic could wreak havoc on both this school and you hold dear! You have no idea what you’re about to do!”   
  
Safina shook her head. “You’re wrong. Besides, you’re too late! You can’t stop me!”   
  
Aeldra’s face fell. “But I’ve already stopped you.”

All according to plan.

Safina was entrapped in tight vines, which greatly restricted her movements.

“Foolish child. This is not magic to be trifled with! This isn’t one of your games.” Aeldra scolded her. She levitated her, intending on carrying her out of the Spirit Oval.

Then, to her dismay, she disappeared, the vines going limp. Aeldra swiftly spun around in utter disbelief.

Safina was back at the Summerstone, smugly grinning at her. “You were a fool to entrap such a thing here in the first place…” She turned to face it. Her fist was cloaked in red energy. “But now I will set it free!”   
  
Aeldra looked on in fear, then darted forward. “DON’T-”   
  
But Aeldra was too late.   
  
Safina lunged forward, her fist colliding with the Summerstone.

With an immense amount of force, it knocked both of them backward, and they both got to watch as the Summerstone began to shake. Cracks began all around.   
  
She got to see the Sapling, if only for a few moments. The last thing she felt was vines gripping her once again, before she went unconscious.

* * *

Safina frowned. In hindsight, she could’ve just teleported there, couldn’t she? Could have avoided the fight with Gilda and avoided the confrontation with Aeldra.

But no, she was looking at this the wrong way.

Whenever she thought back to what happened on that day, she was reminded of her failure. She was reminded of how much she hurt Gilda. She was reminded of how much of a thorn in Aeldra’s side she was.

That was the very same day that everything changed, too. Suddenly, she was the outcast, and Maritte had more or less taken her place.

It’s funny. Part of her lies dictated that she had no sister, because she reasoned that a “famous witch” having an ordinary sibling would be a sign of weakness. It’s almost poetic how she showed up to her school, not only to SAVE her, but as a powerful fire witch, far stronger than Safina could ever hope to be. She even heard she went toe to toe with THE Ibn Oxley… even if it was alongside two others. That was no easy feat nonetheless. Even she could admit she wouldn’t last a second against him at his full strength.

She sighed.

Her mind wandered to Pertisia. This was a memory that continued to haunt her. In the past, she got pretty good at blocking it out and just proceeding with a smile on her face. Having new friends helped. But all of these issues unearthing themselves in one day and now being left alone again let it haunt her once more, now worse than ever.

Safina remembered her screams. Her screams of terror as she was attacked by the Unseen.   
  
Was her stupid wand really worth it at that point? By Wala, she could’ve just made another!   
  
She just barely remembered what the scar looked like. It ruined one of her eyes. It… also cut quite deep. Not deep enough to inflict lasting harm, but enough to do a number on her for sure.

She didn’t remember how they got out, but she remembered exactly how it played out.

* * *

Her wand had to be here somewhere…

“Found it!” Pertisia called, holding it up.   
  
Safina breathed a sigh of relief. “Oh, thank Wala. Though… don’t you think it’s odd that it’s completely unguarded-”   
  
“ARE YOU TAKING MY STUFFS? NOBODY TAKES MY STUFFS! THAT WAS GOOD STUFFS YOU TAKE!!!” The Snatcher had caught wind of their intent, and aimed to pursue.

Pertisia began to run, with Safina following close behind. “You just had to say something, didn’t you?”   
  
Safina nervously laughed, more focused on escaping.

They both touched the dresser which stood in the room they initially arrived in. They reappeared in The Unseen, cautiously and quietly navigating their way back through the dark, treacherous passage.

The mission was a success. Or at least, that’s what they both thought.

A rumble sounded in the distance. They both paused.

“What was that?” Pertisia whispered, trembling.

Safina shook her head. “It’s nothing. Let’s get out of here.”

As they continued to move forward, they heard it again. And this time, they saw a large, terrifying creature looming in the distance. And it looked like it had its sights on them.

Safina gulped, visibly shaking. “N-now might be a good time to run…”   
  
Pertisia didn’t need to be told twice. They both started running as fast as they could. They could feel IT growing ever closer.

“Ah!” Pertisia tripped, falling flat on her face.

Safina spun around. “Perty!” She quickly approached to help her up.   
  
“Are…” Then, her eyes met with it. “you…”

Pertisia sat up, slowly and shakily turning around to meet what was staring her down.

She had only a moment to let out a terrified scream before it tore into her flesh.

…

By some miracle, they escaped The Unseen, but not without great loss. Pertisia had suffered severe injuries to her left eye, gruesome claw marks running down one side of her face. Thankfully, she had nothing more than a few scratches elsewhere.

Interestingly, Safina only came out with only a few scrapes.

Unfortunately for them, the headmistress, Aeldra, had been waiting for them. She initially had plans to scold them, but it appeared the situation was quite dire.

“What on earth happened in there!?” Aeldra was shocked to see Pertisia in this state.

“I-” Safina tried to speak up, but Aeldra was having none of it.   
  
“I don’t want to hear it, Hildegaard! She needs healing, ASAP!” Aeldra picked up Pertisia, carrying her. “And YOU, YOU are coming with me!”

And that was the last day Pertisia and Safina were ever “friends”.

* * *

Safina quietly sobbed. Her screams haunted her. Her words made her sick.

When Aeldra questioned her, after Pertisia was transferred to get healed up, she ratted her out.   
  
It was true that she TECHNICALLY cast the spell, but it was indeed Pertisia that went for the idea of the forbidden blood magic and taught her how to use it. Still, she could’ve DIED in there and then… and then! After barely making it out, she goes and rats her out, and has her shoulder the blame instead. If she was a good friend… if she…   
  
She should’ve covered for her. Shouldered the blame herself. And above all…

She should’ve been there for her in her time of need. She suffered considerable trauma from that event, no doubt. The event brought great shame to both her and her family. And what did she do?   
  
She ran away and ditched her for new friends. That’s what she did. That’s how she thanked her for retrieving her stupid wand.

Safina continued to remember all the things she did wrong.

Manipulating Nel. Trying to tempt Rook into a relationship. Keeping her sister a secret.

Ah, that’s right. Maritte.

Oh, Maritte. She truly didn’t deserve to have her as a sister. Maritte is everything she should have been and more.

She had hoped that Maritte could just forget about her and move on. Maritte didn’t need her anymore. She had already grown far stronger than her in the short time she had magic, and made all sorts of new friends. She managed to befriend Pertisia!

She shuddered. Should’ve known it wouldn’t be that simple. For reasons entirely unknown to her, Maritte still cares about her. Despite all she’s done, despite all she’s learned about her.   
  
Why?

* * *

It was the next morning.

Safina made a decision. One she wasn’t sure would work, but she had to try.

Starting today, she is going to right her wrongs. She is going to make amends with everyone she hurt.

She is going to atone for her misdeeds. Whether she is ready for it… or not.


	2. That's what Friends are for

Safina briskly walked down the corridor, her footsteps echoing throughout. She headed straight for the Alchemy Lab, where she was sure she’d find them.

Petronella.

Their history was… complicated. Early on, Safina really did treat them like a true friend, but it was almost as if they just grew ever distant as time went on. This became evident once she started to only hang out with Rook.

What changed?  
  
Safina entered the lab. It was very quiet and very empty today. It was a rare off day for most Coven operatives, so most had decided to relax for the day. But she knew Nel.

Sure enough, Nel was alone at the center of the room, brewing up a new potion.

She quietly chuckled to herself. They really were quite the workaholic when it came to this. She swore that they hadn’t left this room at all since they arrived here a few days ago.

Petronella looked up, and was surprised to see Safina there. “Oh, hi Saf. What brings you here?”

An innocent question, to be sure. A good one, at that. It felt awkward to say it. Strange. She took in a breath, then slowly let it out.

“Look… I… I haven’t been a good friend to you. To any of you. I just… I just wanted to apologize. For everything.” Safina looked at Petronella in anticipation, awaiting their reaction and answer.

Safina was expecting surprise. Disbelief. What she got instead was… well, it caught her off guard.  
  
Petronella frowned, shaking their head. “No matter how many times you say it, Saf, my answer isn’t going to change.”   
  
Safina was genuinely confused. “W-what.... what do you-”   
  
“We’ve been over this. You feel remorse for what you’ve done, and you want to do better. Like it or not, I’m still your friend. Friends are supposed to be there for each other, right? No matter what.”   
  
Well, she couldn’t argue with that.   
  
“Y-yeah but…” Safina’s eyes met the floor. “Nothing? Did you forget about how hard I tried to push you out of the equation? I nearly broke you and Rook apart!”

Petronella hummed. A valid point, but... “I didn’t forget. I just think you’re blowing it out of proportion. We all make mistakes. I know that better than everyone. As a matter of fact, I think that you acknowledging your mistakes and making an effort to make up for them is quite commendable. And I only intend to support you on that endeavor.”

Safina didn’t know how to respond. She expected this to pan out entirely differently. At best she was just expecting them to shrug it off and go back to their work. But they took it one step further…

“You’ve done good things for me, Saf. And I haven’t forgotten them. That one time we snuck out to Stoc’s, for one. That was so much fun! Before then I had mostly resigned myself to boring studies and messing with potions. That bit of adventure is what I needed. Furthermore, you helped me out when I was feeling down in the dumps. Helped me get going again. In fact, I remember that one time…”

* * *

Petronella hated going to Beal’s class. They really didn’t care for summoning. It was entirely irrelevant to their interests. They just wish they could go back to Mildburg’s class…

They were finally done for the day though, thankfully. But as they were getting up-  
  
“Petronella. Come here please.” Professor Beal said, impatiently tapping her fingers on her desk.

Petronella quietly sighed, turning back and heading over to her desk.

“Do you know what you almost just did?”  
  
Petronella slowly nodded.   
  
Beal huffed. “So you DO know, huh? Why did you do it? Don’t you know it’s STRICTLY forbidden to summon without my explicit permission? You didn’t even know exactly what you were summoning! Don’t you have any idea how dangerous that is!?”   
  
“I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean-”   
  
Beal held up her hand. She didn’t want to hear it. “See that it doesn’t happen again. Or else.”

She left the room, leaving Petronella alone.

They no longer had the energy to leave. So they just… gave up. They sat down behind a pillar and just.  
  
Let it out.

…

Safina noticed that Nel hadn’t come out of class yet, and she had seen Beal pass her. Were they still in there?  
  
She went to go investigate, walking back towards the classroom.

Safina walked inside, taking a look around.

_sniffle_

Safina’s eyes darted over to the source of the sound, coming from behind the leftmost pillar.

She cautiously walked over to it. “...Nel? is that you?”

Petronella glanced over their shoulder, and stood up, turning to meet Safina, their eyes still wet with tears. “O-oh… it’s you, S-Saf…”

Safina looked at her, concerned. “You okay? What’s wrong?”  
  
Petronella sniffled. “It’s j-just… Beal got angry with m-me. I j-just… I really h-hate summoning. I’m awful at it, j-just like e-everything else..!” They wiped some more tears from their eyes which still lingered.

Safina stomped her foot, balling her fists. “Ugh! Beal is SUCH a wand in the mud, isn’t she!?” She recalled the time that she tried to summon a demon to eat her homework so she wouldn’t have to do it.  
  
Beal wasn’t happy.

“...never lets me experiment in class. Because the demon realm is DANGEROUS and UNPREDICTABLE! Yeah right…” Safina rolled her eyes.

Safina frowned. She couldn’t just leave Nel like this. “Hey, what can I do to cheer you up? You’re really bumming me out.”  
  
Petronella didn’t respond, averting their eyes to the floor.

Safina had an idea. “Say. How about you and me sneak out to Stoc’s? I know a… shortcut.”

Petronella looked back up at Safina, and smiled. “S-sure, that sounds nice.”  
  
Safina nodded, grinning. “Great! Then it’s settled! But… after we finish this next class.” She gestured for them to follow.   
  
“Of course.”   
  
Petronella followed her out of the room.

…

Safina had an idea. She had been experimenting with her summoning since they both got back from Stoc’s, and a little bit just this morning as well. She had a plan.

Safina intended to get back at Beal. Both for what she did to Nel, and also because she quite frankly hated her guts. She also wanted to show the class just how cool summoning could REALLY be.

That homework demon she tried to summon once hadn’t gone to plan, but she’s repurposed it slightly.  
  
She was going to scare her into submission.

Safina cackled, envisioning how it would play out in her head.  
  
“Oh… this’ll be good.”   
  
It was time to start the day, though, so she’d have to think up the rest of her plan in between classes.

…

She had finally made it to Beal’s class. She waited for her to take attendance and begin the lesson before she took her chance to put it into motion.  
  
Safina raised her hand. “Professor?”   
  
Beal paused, looking at her expectantly. “What is it, Hildegaard?”   
  
Safina subtly smirked. “I want to show the class this cool summon! I think it would be VERY helpful to visualize what we’re learning!”   
  
Beal furiously shook her head. “Absolutely not! I thought I made it abundantly clear what the rules were-”   
  
Safina pretended not to hear her. “Sorry, what was that? I’m a little deaf in this ear.”   
  
Beal glared at her. “I said-”   
  
Safina giggled. “It sounds like you said I could show them! Well, you’re the boss!”

Safina summoned what could only be described as quite possibly the most terrifying reincarnation of the homework demon.

It was three times the size of the original, and its horns curled upwards in an intimidating fashion. It had big yellow eyes with red pinpricks for pupils. It bared its fangs at Beal.

It let out a screech, and wrapped her in one of its massive hands.  
  
Safina smiled at Beal, who was struggling to break free. “I think you owe us an apology.”   
  
Beal scoffed. “An apology? Are you INSANE? As if! I’m just trying to prevent things like THIS from happening!”   
  
Safina smirked. “Wrong answer.”   
  
It turned Beal to face it, and it opened its mouth, as if it was going to chomp down on her.

It roared, prompting Beal to scream in fear.

“A-alright, alright! Please j-just, put me down…”  
  
It released its hold on her, and Safina dispelled it. She had a smug look on her face.   
  
“Maybe I… maybe I’ve been a little harsh towards all of you. I’m just… I’m really concerned. Summoning can be dangerous business. I just don’t… I don’t want anyone to get hurt.”   
  
Beal nervously smiled, still trying to catch her breath. “B-but, maybe with close supervision, we c-can be a little more… er, hands on… with this class.”   
  
Beal let out a sigh. “Class dismissed. I need to take a breather.”   
  
And with that, she left the room.

The class cheered, excited at the new opportunities they were given.

Safina glanced over at Petronella, winking at them with a big grin.

Petronella laughed, mouthing a thank you.

Safina smiled to herself. Mission accomplished.

* * *

“Thanks to you, summoning became far more interesting. And Beal was much less harsh than before. Guess you just needed to scare some sense into her!” Petronella laughed, still amused at Beal’s reaction to what Safina summoned.

Safina couldn’t help but smile. “Yeah, I guess that was pretty cool.”  
  
She happily sighed. “Alright, you win. But… I still feel bad about what I did to you. I can’t change that.”   
  
Petronella shook their head. “And I forgive you. Plus, now I just want to help you get better. The Safina I know faces issues like these head on, and doesn’t just wallow in their own sorrow. Isn’t that right?”   
  
Safina laughed. “Hah! I guess you’re right! But… how?”   
  
Petronella hummed, placing their attention back towards the potion they had been working on. “I’m afraid I’ve temporarily hit a dead end in what I can do here. There’s just not enough materials in the immediate vicinity. I was going to have Rook go on an expedition to go get a few things for me… plus I’m sure he wants to find out what else is out there. You know how he is.”   
  
Safina nodded, prompting Petronella to elaborate.   
  
“Rook will have to meet with me to give me what he managed to find. You could come with me and you two could have a talk.”   
  
Safina stuck her thumb up. “Sounds like a good idea! But… when?”   
  
Petronella replied, “A few months from now. Will take some time to plan, plus funding has to be acquired somehow in order for them to go on this trip. And I’m not sure if Rook would go alone or with someone else. In any case, I’ll let you know when I know more.”   
  
Safina nodded. “Sounds good. Thank you so much for helping me with this… I owe you one.”   
  
Petronella laughed. “It’s no problem, really! It’s what friends are for, right?”   
  
Safina hummed in agreement. “Yeah… you’re right.”   
  
  


Safina chatted with Petronella for a little while longer while they worked together on a new potion. Wasn’t like Safina had anything better to do.  
  
As it turns out, they make a great team.


	3. Turning the Page

Just under 2 months passed since Petronella and Safina spoke.

They now regularly worked together on new projects and making further advancements in alchemy. They even discovered a potential cure, or at least, way to help Ibn keep his powers under control. They just needed one specific ingredient that wasn’t here…

“Oh, Saf! I’m going to be leaving to meet Rook soon. You wanted to come with me, right?” Petronella asked as they started putting away all of the unused vials whilst cleaning the used ones.

“Right! I almost forgot… I’ve been so busy with both this and new assignments! Let me know when you’re heading out and I’ll follow.”  
  
Petronella stuck their thumb up. Safina nodded and left the lab, heading to her chamber.

* * *

“Rook, this is great! This’ll be extremely helpful! Thank you so much for doing this.” Petronella could barely hold all the materials they were given.

  
Rook grinned. “Don’t mention it. Now, I better get going. Good luck!”   
  
Rook turned to leave.

“W-wait!” Petronella called out.

Rook spun around. “Uh, yes?”  
  
Petronella sighed. “There’s… there’s someone who wants to talk to you.” Petronella glanced over towards Safina, and nodded towards Rook, prompting her to approach.

Rook was a bit surprised at who he saw. And rightfully so.

“Safina..?”

Petronella weakly smiled. “Well, I’ll let you two get acquianted with each other. Thanks again, Rook!” They waved as they left the scene, leaving Rook and Safina alone.

“Um… hey.” Safina awkwardly scratched her head.

Little did Safina know, Rook had been helping Maritte look for her. For all he knew, Safina had just been missing for two months.  
  
Safina had anticipated this, so she made sure to just don her usual attire, not her Coven apparel.   
  
Still.

“Where… where have you been? Maritte’s been looking for you.” Rook asked, concerned. “It’s… it’s been really hard on her. She’s been having nightmares now, did you know that?”

Safina gasped. “She… she what?”  
  
Rook grimly nodded. “It started a few days after you and Pertisia left. I wanted to help her… but I’m no good at this kind of stuff. I’ve been inviting her to study with me in an attempt to get her mind off of it but… to no avail.”   
  
This had begun worse than Safina could have hoped. She knew Maritte didn’t take it too well, but now she was having NIGHTMARES?   
  
She really messed up. More than she had ever imagined.

“...but, I don’t know if you knew, but Maritte and Gilda got together. Shocker, right?” Rook rolled their eyes sarcastically. “She’s helping Maritte through it, at least.”

Safina briefly smiled at that. She was happy for her. She needs someone to help her now more than ever. Since Safina clearly wasn’t up to the task.

She internally winced at that.

Rook noticed Safina deep in thought. “I know that look. What’s eating you?”  
  
Safina’s shook her head. “It’s just… look. The reason why I’m here is to say I’m sorry. Both to you, and also for… everything that has happened to Maritte. It’s all my fault.”   
  
Rook was taken aback by what she just said. “Come again?”   
  
Safina was actually going to repeat herself, but Rook signalled for her to stop. “No, I know what you said. It’s just… strange coming from you.”   
  
Rook sighed. “I’ll be honest. While I don’t appreciate various things you’ve done and also what you’ve done to Maritte… I also don’t think it’s any good to hold a grudge either. I’d also be remiss to gloss over all the good things.”   
  
Safina blinked. “What are you trying to say?”   
  
“What I’m trying to say is, although YES, you DID do a lot of messed up stuff both in the past and even recently still, I’m willing to set it aside if it means you’re leaving that part of you behind. For good. What I want to see is the good side of you that I remember from before all of…” Rook gestured around them. “This.”

Safina frowned. “It’s hard. Lying and upholding an image just became apart of me over time, it’s so natural to me. To suddenly leave it all behind is difficult.”  
  
“I don’t want to be a bad person, Rook. I want to help my friends!” Safina paused, realizing what she just said. “Well, um, whoever would still call me one. STILL. My point still stands. Moving forward, I want to do better! Not just for me, but for everyone around me!”   
  
Rook warmly smiled. Seemed like he was pleased with Safina’s answer. “That’s what I like to hear. But… judging by that expression, you have more you want to tell me. Is that right?”

Safina slowly nodded.

Rook turned around. “Well, I’ve got to head back to Ikenfell. Maritte and Gilda are waiting for me. How about we talk on the way?”  
  


* * *

Safina and Rook walked down the path back to Ikenfell. They had a good couple of miles to chat about various topics. Safina decided she’d go first.

“So… Maritte IS okay now, right?”

Rook hummed. It was complicated. “Yes and no. If we’re talking about a couple of months ago, absolutely not. She was a total wreck. As I said, I tried to help her and distract her, but to no avail.”  
  
Safina frowned, guilt eating at her heart. “And you said she had… n-nightmares?”

Rook nodded. “Yes. For obvious reasons she didn’t talk about them much but… from what I gathered, they were tremendously unpleasant. And either about you or Pertisia. Sometimes both at once. I swear like half the time she never got any rest, and she tried REALLY hard to brush it off. It was… really sad to see. But there was nothing that could be done.” Rook sadly sighed. That first month in particular was really rough.

“I think she’s finally recovering though. I believe with Gilda’s help she will eventually learn to move on and face those nightmares. I don’t know if you know this but Gilda gives a really good pep talk!” Rook chuckled, stopping themselves from reciting one of her latest.

Safina felt conflicted. She was happy Maritte was doing well but… she really shouldn’t have had to recover in the first place. This was all her fault and she knew it! All thanks to her dumb plan…

“That’s it.” Safina muttered.  
  
Rook looked over at her. “Huh?”   
  
Safina stopped, turning her back to them. “It was my cowardice that started this whole thing. And I’m tired of running away from it.”   
  
She briefly looked down, and turned to face Rook again. “I’m going to go all the way to Ikenfell with you and pay her a long overdue visit.”   
  
Rook breathed a sigh of relief. “I was hoping you would say that. She really misses you, and I wasn’t sure I’d be able to convince you myself.”

They continued walking in silence for the next hour.

* * *

The sun was beginning to get lower and lower in the sky as they neared Ikenfell. The silence had been broken by Rook lightly chuckling at something.

Safina peered over at them. “What?”  
  
Rook smiled. “Ah, just remembering something.”   
  
Safina hummed thoughtfully. “Want to talk about it?”   
  
“Sure, why not.”

Although this was a bit awkward now, they still looked back on this fondly. It was amusing, to say the least.

“Do you remember just under a year ago when we were uh… you know.”

* * *

It was a lovely afternoon at the end of the last school day of the week, meaning that there was an entire weekend ahead of them.

And Safina had big plans.

Rook was heading back to the library to resume their studies when he heard Safina calling their name.

Rook glanced back to see her, doing a double take.

She was dressed unusually nicely. Her hair was flattened out instead of being spiky and unruly like it normally was. She wore a crimson dress with a purple stripe going down the left side, ditching her usual attire. She was even wearing heels. They were a sparkly burgundy color.

Just where did she get this stuff anyway? And when?  
  
“Safina? Jeez, uh… what’s the occasion?”

Safina blushed slightly. Rook being entirely oblivious to the implications made it a bit worse for her. “Ah, t-that’s not important! Now come h-here, I need to show you something.”

Rook was still confused, but obliged. “Oookay..? Lead the way, I guess.”

Safina grabbed them by the arm and yanked them forward. “Whoah! Uh, what’s the hurry?” Rook stumbled.

Safina smiled. “Oh you’ll see!”

…

Rook didn’t see it, but, as they got nearer and nearer to the Twilight Yard, Safina’s face became gradually more and more red. Rook also didn’t know this, but there were butterflies practically swirling in Safina's stomach.

And so, they finally entered, the world getting much darker around them.

“H-here we are!” Safina said, looking at Rook expectantly.

Then it all clicked. Rook grinned. “Oh! You’re asking me on a date, aren’t you?”

Safina rapidly nodded, cheeks flushed.

Rook chuckled. “Well then, I accept.”  
  
Safina blankly stared at Rook, sweating. “Great! I, um… I don’t… I didn’t think I’d get this far.” She awkwardly shrunk in on herself, embarrassed. “I literally have no idea what to do.”

Rook could barely contain themself. “Oh boy…”

…

They eventually settled on dinner at the Great Hall. Rook spent much of the time being amused at how flustered and unprepared Safina was. You would think she’d do some research before asking someone out on a date.  
  
But Rook had fun anyway. Safina eventually became a bit more comfortable and relaxed, and they discussed various topics.

Rook even convinced her to accompany them at the archives.

“Safina?”  
  
Safina looked up, having been idly standing by an empty bookshelf.

“I had a lot of fun tonight. We should do this again sometime.” Rook warmly smiled. He meant it, too.

Safina returned the gesture. “Me too, haha. I’m sorry I was so unprepared, I just-”  
  
Rook went in for a swift kiss on the cheek, prompting Safina’s cheeks to flare up.

Rook laughed. “Speaking of unprepared…”

Safina awkwardly coughed, the red disappearing from her face. “R-right. Um. See you tomorrow, Rook.” She grinned as she bid her farewell and left the room.

* * *

Safina blushed slightly. “Oh… I remember that. I guess that WAS pretty fun. Even if I was having a terrible time for the first bit, umm…”  
  
Rook grinned. “Of all things, I expected dating to be your STRONGSUIT, not your weakness!”

Safina’s face fell, though. “...but I don’t like to think about it anymore. I hope you understand why?” 

Rook realized the implication. “Oh. Right. I’m sorry, Saf.” Rook glanced to the side. “Forget I mentioned it.”

They walked in pure silence for the rest of the way.

* * *

Eventually they both arrived at what used to be Safina’s room. It was fairly late at this point, sunset now.

Rook knocked on the door. “Maritte? It’s me, Rook! Sorry I took so long!”

No response. Odd.

Rook paused, putting their ear to the door. Was silent from inside.

“Anyone in there?”  
  
Nothing.

Rook shook their head. “Maybe she’s sleeping… but the sun hasn’t even set yet. Is she really that tired..?”

Safina nodded her head towards the door. “How about we go have a look?”  
  
Rook wanted to protest, but relented. “A-alright. I guess it is TECHNICALLY your room anyway…”   
  
Rook slowly opened the door with a creak. The room was still lit up.

Safina’s eyes looked around the room, until her eyes met Maritte. Or more precisely, Maritte and Gilda’s sleeping forms. They were curled up together, in a peaceful sleep. They looked happy.

Safina’s heart all but melted at the sight. She so desperately wanted to finally talk to Maritte, but… it wouldn’t feel right to break this up. Plus, it IS rare for her to get a good night’s rest. As she had just learned in her short time with Rook.

Rook weakly smiled. “Well, I guess that answers that question.” He whispered.

Safina looked down briefly, then looked over at Rook. “Unfortunately I can’t stay here until morning, as much as I’d like to. Duty calls. I guess the least I can do is write to her like I said I would…”

“Got a piece of paper?”  
  
Rook nodded. “Of course.”   
  
Safina took the piece of paper that was handed to her, and began to write.

_Maritte,_

_First I just want to say, I’m sorry. I’m sorry for running away. In hindsight, it did nothing to accomplish anything. I’m also sorry for not at least writing to you like I said I would, which is what I am going to do starting now._

_I want to do better as a person. I want to leave the bad part of myself behind, and build myself into a better person instead._

_I won’t be around much, unfortunately. The Coven is busy business. So for the foreseeable, writing will be my only way of staying in touch. Oh, and that’s why I went missing. It is good, though, to finally use my strengths for good, and to help others, not just myself. And I hope in time I can fix the problems I’ve created. Only time will tell._ _  
_ _  
_ _PS, you and gilda are absolutely precious, you go sis!_

 _Be seeing you,_ _  
_ _  
_ _-Saf_

Safina gingerly placed the note next to the bed for Maritte to read the next morning. It was time for her to go, as she couldn’t delay getting back to the facility any longer.

“Well, was nice talking to you again, Rook. I must go now.” Safina was about to leave when Rook stopped her.  
  
“Wait.”   
  
Safina looked at them, waiting for their question.

“Why CAN’T you stay here anyway? You look like you really want to…”  
  
Safina sighed, briefly debating whether or not she should tell them. “It’s because I… I work for the Coven, now. You know how it is.”   
  
So that was that suspicion confirmed. “Ah, that explains a lot. I was wondering how you were able to get ahold of Nel despite going off the grid for 2 months… well, for what it’s worth, congratulations.”   
  
Rook turned to leave. “Well, I won’t keep you. Take care, Saf.”

Safina listened as she heard their footsteps echo down the hallway.

She peered back at Maritte and Gilda, who were still sound asleep. She weakly smiled, then left the room, closing the door with a soft click.


	4. True or False

A few months had passed since Safina’s meeting with Rook.   
  
She’s been doing a lot better. Everyone has.

Safina and Maritte have been regularly writing to each other, catching up. She’s even written to Rook a few times.   
  
But recent events made it abundantly clear that she couldn’t go out of her way to track down everyone and just go beg for forgiveness on her knees. She was quite lucky that Rook was passing through at that exact time, else she would’ve never been able to speak with them. There was certainly no going back to Ikenfell with how busy it was getting.

She had been proving her worth in the Coven, and as such she’s being trusted with more assignments. More assignments means less time.

Same goes for Petronella as a matter of fact. That expedition did them a ton of good, and they’ve been going wild with all sorts of new alchemy. She has even overheard whispers of her being “Head Alchemist” material, which, well. She was practically lost for words.   
  
She helped, of course, but didn’t hold a candle to their abilities. She was sure they’d get that position in no time.

She had a mission to go on, so she decided it was time to hop to it!

* * *

Her mission took her to one of the towns up north. It was significant to her because this was actually her hometown. Right up until she was 13, she spent all of her years here growing up.

She even remembers the exact spot where she used magic for the first time. It was right-

...there?

Pertisia was here.

Pertisia. Here.

Safina swiftly backed away and rounded a corner, breathing out a breath she didn’t know she was holding.

She wasn’t ready for this yet.

Safina remembered her actions during their brief talk a few months ago, right after she woke up from all the stuff that happened at the Spelltower.

The last time she spoke to her was a little after the Spelltower, which felt like ages ago now. And, during that point, she had the gall to lie to Pertisia, when she was supposed to be telling the truth. Just to preserve her innocence.

She claimed she didn’t remember how she got that scar. Claimed she didn’t know.

What a big lie that was.

She was hesitant to even speak to her. But… she told herself that she’d stop running away. Plus, she might not get this chance again.

She steeled herself, taking in a deep breath. She rounded the corner again, where Pertisia was still standing.

“Pertisia? What are you doing here?”   
  
Pertisia immediately turned her way, clearly not anticipating her being here either. Her face fell.

“Oh. It’s you.” Pertisia sighed. “What do you want, Safina?”

Safina softly exhaled. Sheesh. Off to a bad start. Guess it would be ideal to cut to the chase, then. “I’m sorry.”   
  
Pertisia’s expression remained unchanged. It seemed she was unimpressed. “And?”

Safina’s breath hitched for a moment. And what? “Look, I-I don’t know! I’m just sorry, okay?”   
  
Pertisia slowly shook her head, rolling her eyes. “I’m afraid SORRY isn’t good enough, Safina.”   
  
Okay. This was off to a bad start. It certainly wasn’t getting any better. Maybe… maybe honesty would help her for once, instead of another lie. “I… I know. Really. I’m sorry, the incident, I… I remember it all. I remember every single detail. I know what it did to you. It was ME who ratted you out, I didn’t shoulder the blame like I should. I knowingly abandoned you. I did terrible things, believe me. I know. But… I… w-want to do better! Honest.”

To Safina’s dismay, Pertisia only seemed to get angrier. Pertisia took a deep breath, then slowly let it out. “Okay, so let me get this straight. You’re telling me you lied to me, AGAIN, after we were supposed to have a nice little chat and clear things up. After you were supposed to tell me the truth. You SPECIFICALLY said you were going to do better and change. And you chose THEN to lie?”   
  
Safina gulped, starting to nervously sweat. “N-no! I messed up, ok!? I swear, I mean it! I-”   
  
Pertisia cut her off. “Who’s to say what you just now told me was just another one of your convenient lies? I know you’re quite the adept manipulator, Safina. I know that once I loosen up and play into your LIES you’ll just take advantage of me, all over again. Just like you almost did to THEM.” Pertisia spat.

That hit Safina hard. As much as she hated to admit it, she kind of had a point.

“Perty, p-please! It’s not like that!” Safina tried to reason with her, but alas, she had passed the point of no return.

Pertisia turned her back on her, crossing her arms. “You know what you are? You’re nothing but a liar. A manipulative liar who’s hungry for power and fame. And you know what?”   
  
She peered back at Safina, her glare staring deep into her soul. “I want no part in it. Not now, not ever. So no, Safina, I deny your apology.” She clenched her fists, but quickly relaxed them.   
  
She stomped off, shaking her head. “Goodbye.”   
  
Safina just stood there in stunned silence.

Then, she dropped to her knees, letting out a weak, pathetic sob.

It was true, wasn’t it?

…

Safina later returned from her mission. But she had changed.

She now carried a great sorrow, one that only she and she alone would ever know the true nature of. One of her own creation.

Before leaving for this mission, Safina was better than she had ever been. She’d been a great help around the labs, and regularly chatted with Petronella after she got back from missions, almost similar to that of how she talked to Maritte after returning home during the summer. Back before she became a fire witch, of course.

Speaking of Maritte, she had also been writing to her regularly. She had learned so much about what had happened in her absence.

But that was all due to change once again.

This time, Safina went straight to her chamber, and did not leave. She entirely avoided Petronella and every other friend she had made within the Coven. When Petronella was at the entrance to her chamber, she could only hear muffled cries from within. But alas, they could not enter.

When leaving the chamber, they didn’t acknowledge them or anyone else, and when she did it was just monotone one-liners or the bare minimum to end the conversation. She only paid any mind to her superiors who gave her her assignments.

Safina stopped responding to Maritte’s letters as well. She thought it’d be wrong to tell her about her incident with Pertisia, lest she make things even worse. She was better off keeping it to herself.

Besides, whenever she tried to get involved, whenever she tried to help, she’d just mess it up. She always made things worse for everyone, didn’t she? Whenever something went wrong, she’d just lie her way out, like she always does. Like she always has, and always will. Didn’t matter if was at the expense of others or not, she’d end up doing it anyway.

That’s what she was, wasn’t she?   
  
A liar.

* * *

Maritte had seen great recovery in the past month. Her downward spiral had been almost entirely reversed after seeing Pertisia again in good spirits, and even Safina had come out of the shadows to try and just talk to her again. The onset of her first term also helped distract her and take her mind off of all the worries.

Gilda had noticed as well. She had to spend less time getting her out of the dark places her mind used to lead her to.

Then, she noticed that Safina stopped writing back. It seems as if she had disappeared, again.

Maritte immediately began to panic. What if she never returned from one of her missions? Did an illness take her? Did-

“I know that expression on your face, Maritte.” Gilda observed, sitting down next to her. “You’re worrying about her again, aren’t you?”   
  
Maritte blinked, nodding. “Y-yeah… how did you know?”   
  
Gilda weakly grinned. “Because I know you! You care about your sister a lot!” She paused, faltering. “And yet it’s like she keeps reappearing and disappearing…”   
  
Maritte sighed. “I just… it’s been awhile since I’ve gotten to properly speak to her face to face. I haven’t seen her in nearly half a year now. I still don’t know what’s going on. I’m just… I’m so TIRED of being left in the dark about this all the time!”   
  
Gilda squeezed Maritte’s hand. “She’ll be okay, Maritte. I’m sure she’s gotten into worse before… and not once has she failed to return. Isn’t that right?”

Gilda awkwardly coughed. “Well, besides that one time. STILL.”   
  
Maritte laughed. “I know what you meant. Yeah… maybe I should quit worrying so much, huh?”   
  
Gilda grinned, planting a kiss on her cheek. “Right! Well, I’ve gotta go pay Rook a visit now. Got studying to do.”   
  
Maritte blushed, nodding in confirmation. “See you!”

The door closed with a thud, and she walked over to her desk, listening as Gilda’s footsteps slowly faded.

Gilda was right. Safina has been in worse spots before. She’d be fine.

  
  


Was she wrong?

* * *

Safina’s mental state only further deteriorated over the next few months, so much so that her superiors deemed her unfit for her duties, and let her have some time off to recover.

Safina was about to leave when Petronella stopped her. “Saf! Where are you going?”   
  
“Away.” She muttered.   
  
Petronella huffed. “Why? Why do you refuse to tell me what’s wrong? What’s gotten into you?”

Safina blankly stared back. “I’m fine.” She whispered, leaving the facility.

…

Safina spent approximately 4 months in her old hometown, by herself.

She spent most of her time wandering the surrounding area, only returning for food and rest. She thought it helped clear her mind.

But alas, her mind had other priorities.

She kept thinking about her friends. Maritte. But whenever she started to think about them, her mind bounced back to Pertisia.

Pertisia, the person she ruined. The person she scarred. Literally.

Despite her best efforts, she failed.

It seemed like a futile effort to get better. She had gotten off to a good start, perhaps, but clearly it wasn’t enough. Not to mention the whole thing was a lie in of itself.

  
  


She just needed some time to clear her mind.


	5. It's Dangerous to go Alone

Safina eventually returned. She seemed slightly better than before but not by much. More sad than anything, rather than all stonefaced like before.

Safina was sent on another mission, this time fairly close to Ikenfell. It set her right on the path that would take her there.

She shook her head. “Don’t think about this right now Safina… you got a mission to do.”

During her absence, it had begun to snow. Moreso in this region, where Ikenfell was located, than everywhere else.

The snow softly fell all around her, her boots crunching through the snow. The only other sound that could be heard was the faint howling of the wind, and the occasional wild animal.

She made haste to not spend more time here than she needs to. She just has to-

She saw Gilda, then ducked behind a tree. “What… what is she doing here..?”  
  
She cautiously exited her cover and continued forward, only to be abruptly stopped by Gilda, who teleported right in front of her. “Boo.”  
  
Safina stumbled backwards. “Don’t..!”  
  
Gilda laughed. “Ohohoho! Got you!” But her laughter quickly ceased, replaced with a look of concern. “Why does this keep happening to you, Safina?”  
  
Safina’s breath hitched.

“You keep disappearing, and Maritte… she-”

Safina gritted her teeth, shaking her head. “I don’t want to talk about it. I’ve got work to do.” She pushed her out of the way, quickly moving forward.

She was stopped dead in her tracks though by an all too familiar lightning field.

“You’re not getting out of this one, Safina!” Gilda called.

“What part of I don’t want to talk about it don’t you understand? Let me go!”

Gilda shook her head. “This isn’t healthy, you know. For either of you. If you won’t tell me…” Gilda’s fists crackled with electricity. “Then I’ll find out myself!”  
  
Safina shakily sighed. What was she playing at? How would beating her in a fight change anything? She’s already done it before, how would now be any different?

Gilda tossed a bolt her way, one which she sidestepped. Safina countered by flinging a red ball of energy towards Gilda, who interestingly made no attempt to dodge.

She winced, but not for the reason that Safina was probably thinking.

Safina’s magic felt so… so WRONG. It looked fine, sure, but there was something terribly off about it.

Gilda shook it off, and struck the ground in front of her several times, two managing to graze Safina.

Safina teleported behind her and delivered a swift punch to her arm, her fist cloaked in red.

Gilda felt it again.  
  
It was conflicted. Gilda felt anger, sure, but also a great, great sadness.

Gilda held up her palm, dispelling her magic. “Stop.”  
  
Safina hesitated, then withdrew her magic too. “Does this mean that I win, and can go back to my mission?”  
  
Gilda ignored her question, instead asking one of her own. “Your magic… it’s… it feels so wrong. Sad. What happened to you, Safina?”

Safina quietly gasped. “I… I don’t know what you’re talking about.”  
  
Gilda growled. “Cut the crap! You know EXACTLY what I’m talking about. This is why you disappeared again, isn’t it?”  
  
Safina shrunk in on herself, not knowing how else to respond.

“Safina, listen to me. Your sister worries day and night about you, your friends care about you, and you have nothing to say?”

“I’m sorry.” Safina quietly muttered.

Gilda paused, not quite hearing. “What did you say?”  
  
“I said… I’m sorry!” Safina shouted, tears forming in her eyes.

She dropped to her knees, sniffling. “I don’t know what else to say, okay!? I’m a screwup and I know it! I just… I keep hurting people! I keep lying! A-and I… I…” Safina’s outbursts turned into incomprehensible sobs.

Gilda sadly sighed, walking over to her, kneeling down beside her.

Rook approached, and broke into a sprint once he saw who it was. “Safina, there you are! You disappeared again, and I-”  
  
Rook paused, peering over at Gilda. “Oh. What… what happened?”  
  
Gilda frowned. “She doesn’t want to tell me what’s wrong. Just keeps saying that she’s a bad person, a liar, she hurt people, et cetera. You know.”  
  
Rook sighed. “Yeah, sounds like the kind of thing she’d say.”  
  
Gilda and Rook nodded at each other, and they gathered around Safina to comfort her.

* * *

Safina eventually calmed down. Her sobs ceased to mere sniffles.

“I’m such a mess…” Safina croaked.

Gilda frowned. “You wanna talk about it now?”

Safina shakily nodded. “O-ok.”  
  
“It was almost a year ago now… I was sent on a mission to… my hometown, actually. When I was taking a look around I found…”  
  
Safina gulped. “Pertisia.”  
  
Rook sighed. “I see where this is going.”  
  
Gilda nodded. “You two have some bad blood between each other, right?”  
  
Safina nodded. “Y-yes. I… I just really wanted to apologize to her for being such an awful friend. And for the long list of other terrible stuff, frankly.”  
  
Gilda tilted her head. “So what went wrong?”  
  
Safina shuddered. “You see I… I… in typical fashion, I just… lied. I lied to her at our first meeting a few months prior to that, same night as when everything happened with the Spelltower.”  
  
Rook didn’t quite understand. “Lied? How?”  
  
“I pretended to not know about that scar that adorned her face. Of course, I knew about it the whole time, and it still haunts me to this day. It was my fault, after all. Though, she obviously didn’t take kindly to it then, and she saw it as simply insulting that I lied to her about it, especially after I was telling her all these changes I’ve been making to do better.”  
  
Safina sniffled. “Then… then s-she… she called me a manipulative, power hungry liar.”  
  
Rook and Gilda winced.  
  
“I don’t blame her though. It’s true, after all…”  
  
Rook shook their head. “I think that’s massively overstating it. As I said before, you may have done some pretty messed up stuff, but I don’t think you were ever THAT bad.”

“But is she wrong, though..?”  
  
Rook and Gilda exchanged looks, choosing to not openly reply to what she just said.

Gilda turned to Rook. “Hey Rook, mind giving us some space for a few minutes? I want to talk to her.”

Rook silently nodded, going further down the path, choosing to head back for Ikenfell.

Gilda turned her attention to Safina, who had her head buried in her knees. “Hey.”  
  
Safina peered up at her.

“Go away… I don’t deserve your help. I’ll just hurt you like I have everyone else!”

“Oh wait, I already did, huh?” Safina quietly cried into her knees.

Gilda sighed. “Okay, look Safina, I’ll admit you were kind of a jerk to me, but you weren’t THAT bad! C’mon.”

Safina abruptly stopped, sitting up. “Are you sure? I humiliated you on numerous occasions, all because of your magic! I wanted to feel like I was better than you, and all it did was bring you pain! I’d probably still be pushing you around if you never got that cool new magic and put me in my place…”

Gilda winced. As much as she wanted to, she couldn’t deny her claims. “But-”  
  
“No. I don’t deserve your help. Get out of here!” Safina snapped.

But Gilda stood her ground. “Safina…”  
  
Safina deflated, sadly smiling. “Who am I kidding. You’ve done this song and dance before, haven’t you? You helped Maritte through hard times too, didn’t you?”

Gilda softly smiled, nodding.  
  
Safina sighed. “Look, Gilda. I’ve been meaning to say this, but… I’m sorry. Not just for that outburst, but for everything.”  
  
“I’m sorry for always making fun of you. I’m sorry for making your life hell. I’m sorry for humiliating you. I’m sorry for putting Maritte through a hard time. Just… everything. You deserved better, Gilda. I’m not asking for forgiveness… but I just can’t stay silent on this anymore.”  
  
Gilda just stared at her in stunned silence. Tears began to well up in HER eyes now.

“Do you think… do you think that I’m lying about this too-”  
  
Gilda quickly pulled her into a hug, sniffling.

“Woah woah, what did I say? Did I do something wrong?”  
  
Gilda shook her head. “N-no… It’s just.”  
  
Gilda pulled away, sadly smiling. “Safina Hildegaard. Asking ME for forgiveness. It’s just…”

“I never thought I’d see the day.”  
  
Gilda locked eyes with Safina. “You… you really mean what you said?”

Safina nodded, weakly smiling. “Y-yes. That… that is not a lie. It’s the truth.”  
  
Gilda sadly smiled. “You really have changed, haven’t you? You’ve been through quite a lot.”  
  
Safina softly chuckled. “Understatement of the century.”

Gilda got up. “Well. I guess I had best let you go on with your mission. I won’t keep you any longer.” She turned, then glanced back. “And Safina?”  
  
Safina looked up at her.  
  
“Thank you.” She finished with a smile, then vanished in a flash of electricity.

Safina happily sighed.

It felt like a weight had been lifted from her chest. She had been waiting for so long to talk to her, but her self doubt kept preventing her. She hated the idea of opening up to her problems about others. That had long been for her eyes and her eyes only, and she had known how to deal with anything that came up before. Not even her own sister knew about much of what she went through. Not even the rough period between the incident and finding Rook and Nel.  
  
Speaking of Rook…

She had to go find them. There was one more thing she had to do.

* * *

Petronella wouldn’t let Safina do this alone. They refused to let her disappear again.

They were going to get to the bottom of all of this, once and for all.

They were fairly close to Ikenfell now, which was around where Safina would be. But she was nowhere to be found.

Oh no... were they too late?  
  
Then they spotted Rook. Maybe he knew where she was?

“Rook!” Petronella called, running towards them.

Rook spun around. “Nel? What are you doing out here?”  
  
Petronella reached Rook, out of breath. “I… hah… do you know… whew… where Safina is?”  
  
Rook hummed in thought. “I might. Gilda told me that she wanted to speak to Safina alone… so naturally I decided to leave them be. However, I think I recall where she last was. Couldn’t have gone far.”  
  
Petronella nodded. “Then we’ve got no time to waste!”

…

Safina walked down the path again, this time in search of Rook. Her mission had taken a back seat at this point, for she had other plans. Plans she had to fulfill, once and for all. No more delays, no more setbacks. Today was the day she was going finish what she set out to do almost a year ago now.

She wouldn’t have to look for long, though, because she not only found Rook, but also…

“Wait… Nel!? What are you doing out here?” Safina ran over to them. She was happy to see them, but…

Petronella pulled her into a tight hug. Then Safina remembered.

Right.

“I’m sorry for worrying you, Nel. And uh… being a jerk. Again.”

Petronella shook their head, pulling away. “Tell me something I don’t know!” They laughed, but then continued, “No but… I just wanted to make sure you wouldn’t disappear again. You’ve really got a knack for doing that.”  
  
Safina nervously laughed.

“Hey, Saf, where’s Gilda? I thought she was with you?” Rook questioned, slightly concerned.

“Oh! She, um… she just kind of… vanished after I talked to her.”

Safina nervously smiled. “I’m… I’m sure she’s fine though. I just don’t know… where she is.”  
  
Rook sighed, and nodded their head. “Alright. Well, I guess I’ve got to go look for her.”

Safina held up her hand. “Wait, before you do…”  
  
“Do you happen to know where Maritte is? I think… I think it’s high time I pay her a visit.”  
  
Rook dramatically rolled their eyes. “Finally, was wondering when you’d get around to it.” Rook teased.

“Uh, just keep following this path, it’ll lead you to near Stoc’s. You’ll know it when you see it, it’s a straight shot from here to there.”  
  
Safina nodded. “Got it. Thanks.”  
  
Rook began to leave, but paused. “Oh and Safina… please… do take care of yourself, won’t you?”  
  
Rook left without another word.

Do take care of yourself…

“Well, I guess if you don’t mind, I’m going to accompany you for the rest of your trip.”

Safina smiled. “Of course! Now… it’s time to finish this!”


	6. Rekindle

Pertisia awoke with a gasp, frantically clutching her chest. She was hyperventilating.

She put a hand to her head, trying to calm her breaths.

Relax, she told herself. It wasn’t real.

Maritte stirred. “Mmh… Perty? What’s g-goin on?” She groggily asked.

Pertisia’s eyes darted over to Maritte. “N-nothing, Maritte. Don’t worry about me.”   
  
Maritte tiredly hoisted herself up, leaning up against her pillows. She rubbed her eyes, directing her attention towards Pertisia. “You had another nightmare, didn’t you?”   
  
Pertisia sighed. “Y-yes…”

Maritte frowned, pulling her in for a hug. “It’s okay. I’m here now.”

Pertisia smiled, sniffling. “T-thank you, Maritte.”   
  
Maritte pulled away, and lowered herself back down to a sleeping position.

Pertisia did the same, curling up with Maritte. Immediately she felt, almost as if she was safe from whatever nightmare would haunt her next.

And yet, she felt a sense of dread. One she couldn’t describe. Unrelated to nightmares, even. But… about what might come in the day ahead.

She cast aside the thought, choosing to instead return to sleep.

* * *

“Saf… what happened back there?” Petronella asked, concerned.

Safina slightly winced. “Gilda just… vanished. She talked me down and I just... I really don’t deserve her.”

“You really need to stop being so hard on yourself, Saf.” Petronella was also wanting to know about something else, too. “But… I meant what happened before that? What’s been going on with you? You haven’t talked to me until just now.”

Safina frowned. “It’s a long story.”   
  
“And I want to hear it.”   
  
“Very well. I’ll try and sum it up for you, since I don’t believe we’ve got far to go.”   


Safina took a deep breath. She recounted what had been happening. They were all bad memories she’d sooner forget than remember. But Nel deserved to know.

“I was sent on a mission to my hometown, only to find Pertisia was there. Naturally, I wanted to say sorry for being a piece of garbage.” Safina nervously laughed. “Hah… uh, what ended up happening was that Pertisia absolutely GRILLED me, then stormed off. Thus sparked a bit of an inner crisis that hadn’t really unearthed itself until just then.”   
  
“She really got me thinking. And, also, it was really sobering. Yes, I had long known of Pertisia’s suffering, but I never knew it was TRULY that bad. She was all alone for all that and I just… turned my back on her. So of course she gave me the cold shoulder!”

“Then I was overwhelmed with fear. Fear that I’d hurt my other friends, just like I had done to her. I didn’t dare try to entertain that scenario. So my solution? Shut everyone out.”   
  
Safina sighed. “In hindsight, it would help very little. And… perhaps I really AM overthinking it.”   
  
Petronella seemed quite surprised. “I didn’t know Pertisia had that much anger built up inside of her, especially now. It’s especially weird after seeing what’s been going on with her recently.”   
  
Safina paused. “Huh? What happened?”   
  
And thus, Petronella dropped quite the bombshell. “Maritte and Perty got together.”   
  
Safina’s jaw all but dropped.

...and she was gripped with an enormous sense of dread.

“W-what? Really? So does that mean that…”   
  
Petronella nodded. “Yes, Gilda and Maritte are no longer together, but there was never any ill intent! They both decided they had other people they wanted to see, and thought they’d both be happier if they just broke up. They’re still really good friends, don’t worry!”   
  
Safina breathed a sigh of relief. Though, she had to admit she was quite sad she couldn’t ever see any of their interactions. She imagined they were absolutely adorable together.

(and they were)

“B-but… that means… in order to see Maritte…”   
  
Petronella confirmed her fear. “You’ll have to meet Pertisia too.”   
  
Safina swore under her breath. She wasn’t sure she could handle this again. She only wanted to see her sister. At this point she had more or less accepted she’d never be friends with Pertisia again, let alone be truly comfortable around her either, but did she really have a choice at this point?   
  
Petronella caught on to her concerns. “She’s doing a lot better now. I think they’ve been really good for each other. Not to mention how much time has passed… I honestly don’t think it could go any worse than last time.”   
  
Safina smiled at that. “Hm, maybe you’re right. Thanks Nel.”   
  
Petronella grinned. “No problem.”

* * *

Safina and Petronella eventually happened upon a lone house in a clearing in the trees.

It appeared to be a cozy log cabin. It had these odd reflective glass windows that you couldn’t see through from the outside. And Safina swore that it emitted a very slight glow, though it was hard to tell in the daylight. Interestingly, it seemed the snow on the ground had also melted away around the house, and there was none on the roof at all.

There was something else, however, that drew her in. So she decided to go investigate.

Upon closer inspection, the wood was quite warm to the touch. Certainly not hot, just pleasantly warm. In fact, it got noticeably warmer now that she was right in front of the house.

“I think this is it.” Petronella commented.

Safina nodded in agreement. “I think you’re right.”   
  
Safina approached the front door, stopping just before it.

She took a deep breath. “Well… here goes nothing.”   
  
With an exhale, she knocked on the door.

After a few seconds, the door swung open, revealing Pertisia. She had looked at Petronella first. “Oh, hi Nel. And who’s…”   
  
Pertisia’s eyes met Safina’s. “This…”   
  
Safina nervously smiled, beginning to sweat.

Pertisia put on a strained smile. “Why don’t… you two... come in?”

She quickly went back inside. Safina shot a nervous glance towards Petronella.   
  
“You’ll be okay. I promise.” They whispered.   
  
Safina softly smiled, silently thanking them.

They both went inside, and closed the door.

Pertisia was sitting at the table, having pulled out two chairs. She gestured for them to sit. “Why don’t you two have a seat. You’re my house guests… aren’t you?”

In which Safina and Petronella obliged.

Pertisia looked like she forgot something. “Ah… thought I was forgetting something.”   
  
Pertisia turned around. “Maritte! Someone wants to see you!” She called towards the bedroom, where Maritte presumably was.

“Coming!” Maritte called back.

Maritte emerged from the room, then abruptly stopped. “S-Saf, it’s… it’s really…”   
  
Maritte rushed over to her and pulled her into a tight hug. “It’s really y-you! Ah, it’s been so long, and I…”   
  
Safina patted her back. “I know, I know. I’m sorry.”   
  
Maritte pulled away, sniffling. “Oh! Nel, what a surprise! Say, how about I make us some pancakes? I know it’s a bit, er, late, but I figured you two might want something for coming all the way out here.”

Petronella excitedly nodded. “That sounds great! Can I help?”   
  
Maritte stuck her thumb up, and gestured for them to follow.

Petronella got up and headed to the kitchen, leaving Pertisia and Safina alone.

Pertisia smiled at Maritte and Petronella as they left for the kitchen, then when she drew her attention back to Safina, it was quickly replaced with… not so much anger, but… more of a blank expression? Unamused? Judging? Safina was having trouble figuring out how to describe it.

“So you’ve been busy.” Pertisia began.

“H-hah… yep! Sure have!” Safina awkwardly replied.

Pertisia frowned. “Why are you here?”

Safina thought very carefully about this. While it was true she initially only came looking for Maritte, she knew that’d be a terrible thing to say because that’d imply she didn’t care about Pertisia in the slightest. So she decided to take a different route.

“I just want to talk. Nothing more, nothing less.” Safina weakly smiled. “And all truth, no lies.”

Pertisia hummed. With a sigh, she relented. “Alright, fine. I guess it’d be rude for me to kick you out of here anyways.”   
  
Pertisia leaned in a little, staring down Safina, as if preparing to carefully judge every word she was going to say. “Well?”   
  
Safina exhaled. “I know this probably doesn’t mean much to you, Pertisia. But, I’m terribly sorry for what I did to you all those years ago. I won’t pretend like I was a good friend, because I wasn’t. Not to you, not to anyone. I wasn’t even a good sister, for crying out loud!”   
  
Pertisia raised her eyebrows, and listened with intrigue.

So far so good.

“But… resolving to change was only half the battle. I really needed an extra push, to fully understand the gravity of the situation. That’s where you came in.”   
  
Pertisia slowly nodded, pushing her to continue.

Safina gulped. “What you said about me was true. For a time, I become reliant on lies and manipulation to thrive. And when it mattered most, it ultimately backfired. Not just on me, but Maritte as well. A-and… and my friends.”   
  
“But I don’t want to be that person anymore, Pertisia. I want to move on and start over. I want to be a good sister to Maritte, like I always should have been. I want to be a good friend, without any strings attached. I want others to see me not for my lies, but for who I really am.”   
  
Safina sighed. “I’m not asking for forgiveness. To be honest, I’m not sure if I’ll really ever deserve it. I’m not sure if we can ever even be friends again. But, I just want you to know that I’m deeply sorry for all the pain I inflicted on you, and I want you to know that I want to do better.”   
  
Safina sadly smiled. “And that, that… is not a lie.”

Pertisia hummed in approval. The faintest smile graced her features. “I’ll be honest myself, Safina. I never expected to hear anything like that come from you. Not even from when I knew you as a friend all those years ago. And yet…”   
  
“That seemed genuine. That didn’t seem like a lie.”   
  
“And if that’s the case, well…” Pertisia stood up, pushing in her chair. “I can tell you’ve really grown into a very different person than I knew from before. And you’re right, I’m still not sure if I can forgive you. Not yet. But I’d be a fool to ignore your best efforts to change. So for that, at least, you have my thanks, Safina.”   
  
Pertisia briefly smiled at her before joining the others in the kitchen.

Safina could hardly believe it. She… she did it? Pertisia DIDN’T hate her guts? Didn’t make her feel like total garbage?   
  
She couldn’t help but shed a single happy tear.

But, there was just one last person she needed to talk to.

Maritte.

* * *

The four had a nice late breakfast. Safina hadn’t taken Maritte for much of a cook, nor had she shown any aptitude for it back at home, so she was quite impressed by her handiwork. As was Petronella.

Pertisia had left the room at some point during this, presumably to take a break and clear her mind.

They all finished their meal.

Petronella went for the door. “I’m going to go see Rook. You two have fun!” They subtly winked at Safina, who understood.

“Bye Nel!” Maritte waved.

That left Maritte and Safina alone now. And Pertisia was nowhere in sight.

“So-” Maritte and Safina began at the same time, causing each other to immediately halt.

“S-sorry, you go first!” Safina said.

“We need to talk.” Maritte replied, her tone serious.

Safina nodded in agreement. “I agree.”   
  
Safina nodded towards the door. “How about we discuss this over a walk?”

Maritte smiled, agreeing with the idea. “Sure!”

* * *

Maritte suggested they go hike up to a nearby cliff, saying that it had quite the view. Anything to pass the time and give them time to talk was fine by Safina.

“What’s been going on with you, Saf?” Maritte questioned.

To the uninitiated, this question wouldn’t be a big deal, but to Safina, it held a whole different weight. “Do you want the long version or the short version?”   
  
“The long version.” Maritte replied. She wanted to know every little detail.

Safina sighed. “Alright… do you remember what happened on that one day at the Spelltower?”   
  
Maritte nodded.

“Well, it all began after me and Pertisia spoke to each other after you left. In a perfect world, this would’ve had me apologize for all I did and admit to my mistakes, then the road to healing would’ve begun for the two of us. But unfortunately, that’s not how it went.”   
  
“I lied to her about her scars. Adding it to the list. I wanted to play innocent and act like I didn’t know how she got them, but I knew EXACTLY how she got them. I was practically the reason!”   
  
Maritte commented, “I guess that explains a few things…”

Safina continued. “Both the conversation you and I had and also the one me and Pertisia had really got me thinking. Plus all the events of that day. I resolved to join the Coven, as a way to atone for my misdeeds. In the process, I also hoped that everyone who ever knew me, you included, would just forget about me, move on, and live happier lives. It’d be better without me there, wouldn’t it?”   
  
Maritte practically couldn’t believe what she heard. “W-what..? How could you say that? I-”   
  
Safina held up her hands defensively. “H-hang on! I’m not finished”   
  
Safina cleared her throat, picking up where she left off. “Unfortunately, this plan ultimately backfired. Quite badly. As I’m sure you’re well aware! But even after coming back to face you, I just couldn’t do it again. I just kind of… shut down. But, I discovered that the only way to solve this problem was to do it directly, not by running away. This started with Nel, then Rook, and then…”   


Safina gulped. It still stung a little, this memory. “Pertisia. When I was on a mission, I was actually sent to our hometown! But… a poor choice of words and more lies later and she practically ripped into me. It sent me into another downward spiral.”   
  
Safina nervously laughed. “That’s why I went dark again. Spent awhile there, actually. By myself. Just alone with my thoughts. I guess her words really made everything dawn on me…”   
  
“And now I’m here. I talked to Gilda, and I talked to Pertisia again and THIS time I didn’t get burned. So uh… that’s progress, I guess?”   
  
Maritte nodded slowly, in understanding. “Okay. I guess it’s better to at least know you weren’t avoiding me for no reason.”   
  
Safina frowned. “I’m really sorry, Maritte. I want to be a good person, I really do. I want to be a good sister to you. But I just keep messing it up. That’s why I wanted you to forget about me in the first place. I… I just don’t think I’m deserving of the title of...  _ your sister _ .”

Maritte stopped, turning to face Safina. “Saf, please don’t ever say that. I don’t care what you did right or wrong. That doesn’t change the fact that you’re still my sister, and I will always love you as my sister.”   
  
Safina bowed her head. “But… I put you through so much pain, and so much trouble, all for nothing. Does that mean nothing to you?”   
  
Maritte shook her head. “No, it d efinitely does. I’m not saying that. But I never, ever wanted you to disappear!”   
  
Maritte frowned. “Besides, I think I’m partially to blame here, too. For multiple reasons.”   
  
Safina shook her head. “What? B-but…”   
  
“When I journeyed through Ikenfell, I learned a lot about you. My opinion about you changed so much from first setting foot there to after finally finding you, and every little place in between. I jumped to conclusions and made false judgements. And I will also admit, I may have been a little harsh towards you.”   
  
“Was part of my anger justified? Sure. But if I had known it would do this to you, well…”   
  
Maritte continued. “And in hindsight, leaving you alone with Perty was a terrible idea. I knew full well that you two had some negative tension, and I had no clue how you’d react to each other. I didn’t even make sure everything would be okay, I just went on my merry way! And look at what happened!”   
  
“It ended with Perty disappearing for almost a full year… and you thinking you should just disappear from the lives of your friends and loved ones!”   
  
Maritte sighed. “It’s not your fault, Saf. I’m just… I’m happy you’re here now.”   
  
Safina weakly smiled. “I promise, Maritte. I will never leave you again.”   
  
Maritte grinned, happy to hear that. “That’s a good start!”

* * *

They arrived at the clifftop. Safina was extremely grateful for Maritte’s warmth, because it had only gotten colder the higher up they got.

“Wow…” Safina breathed.

Maritte smiled. “It’s great, isn’t it?”

A vast white landscape was laid out before them. You could see the ominous fog and structures of the ruins from here, and you could see Ikenfell from a new perspective.

In the distance was the ocean, which had several pillars jutting out from the water. Safina presumed they were rock formations, but from here they almost looked like ice.

There was also a thick forest nearby, the trees entirely coated with snow. You couldn’t see into the forest at all.

“Of all things to happen today…” Maritte sniffled.

Safina turned her head towards Maritte.

Maritte looked at her. Tears were beginning to form in her eyes. Not tears of sadness, but of happiness. “Getting you back was not something I expected.”   
  
Safina couldn’t help but have some tears well up in her own. She sadly frowned. “Maritte, look, I…”   
  
She turned her attention back to the vast landscape that sat before them. “I’ve done a lot of bad things. And… and I’ve been a terrible s-sister to you.”   
  
Safina turned her head back towards Maritte, smiling. “But you’ve grown so much. You’ve become far better than I could have ever dreamed of being! All on your own accord.”   
  
Safina’s face fell again, though. “I’m not asking for forgiveness… but I just want you to know that, starting now, I would like to start over. Be the sister I always should have been.”   
  
Maritte pulled her into a hug, tears streaming down her face. “I f-forgive you.”   
  
Safina let the tears flow freely down her face. She had waited so long to hear those words from her. She tightened her grip.   


* * *

Eventually, the tears ceased, and they arrived back at home. Petronella had also returned.

Safina and Petronella decided they’d stick around for dinner, and, seeing as they’d need a place to stay for the night, have a little sleepover.

Maritte and Pertisia had long since retired to the bedroom, both tired for entirely different reasons, which left Safina and Petronella by the fireplace, basking in its comforting warmth. There were a pair of pillows and two blankets waiting for them for when they got tired.

“So how’d it go?” Petronella asked.

Safina fondly smiled. “Good, I think.”   
  
Petronella grinned. “I thought as much. I was a bit concerned when I saw Maritte walk through the door with tear marks on her face, but then I saw you with the same thing.”   
  
Safina quietly laughed. “You could say we had a bit of a heart to heart. Sisterly bonding. You know.”   
  
“Stuff we had been needing to catch up on for a long, long time.”   
  
Petronella nodded. “And now you’ve more or less patched up things with Perty?”   
  
Safina thought as much. “I guess so. I don’t think she hates my guts anymore… but I can’t tell how much of that was just her letting up over time or just thanks to Maritte’s counsel. I guess it doesn’t matter now.”   
  
Petronella yawned. “I knew you’d be okay, Saf. But, I think I had best call it a night. You may want to as well, you’ve got to complete that mission still, by the way.”   
  
Safina blinked. Right! She almost forgot… but to be fair, a lot happened today. Her mission had ended up taking a back seat, and for good reason.   
  
Petronella placed down a pillow and placed the blanket over top of themselves, closing their eyes. “Goodnight, Saf.”   
  
Safina smiled down at them. “Goodnight, Nel.”


	7. And What Followed

In the years which followed, Safina quickly rose through the ranks of the Coven, the commonly agreed reasons being her excellent leadership abilities, outstanding teamwork, and unmatched magic prowess. And above all else, she proved herself to be quite modest, always seeking to elevate whoever she worked with.

Safina Hildegaard became an Archmage for the Coven, serving alongside Ibn Oxley and Bax Twiford. Even despite this new rank, she never let the power and fame that came with it get to her head, instead using it for the Coven’s greater good.

Petronella also saw great success during this time. With Safina’s help, they made groundbreaking innovations in the world of Alchemy, both reinventing old tried and true concepts and creating new ones, in the face of new odds posed by the changing of the magic season.  
  
They became the new Head Alchemist of the Coven, now overseeing all operations related to it and being granted full access to all facilities, materials, and information pertaining to it.

Maritte Hildegaard, after completing all of the required courses and gaining a good understanding of magic, became a professor at Ikenfell, having grown quite attached to the place. Thanks to a new project spearheaded by Ima, new buildings were opened, and as a result new courses created. Ze saw potential in Maritte and, after Maritte asked zir directly, ze just couldn’t say no.

Maritte turned out to be a natural at teaching. She was very caring towards her students and put am emphasis on hands-on learning and visuals. The class she taught was Magic Fundamentals, a first year class, now required for ALL new magic users who appeared at Ikenfell. While it pertained mostly to Elemental users, any Unique users, users of the magic that previously dominated the magic world, were accommodated. Other professors, both old and new, followed in her footsteps.

Gilda Nhatai, one year before Maritte, became the new professor at the Dueling Hall. The position held no permanent resident since Radegund became headmistress, then stepped down, and retired. She personally chose Gilda to be her successor, citing her sheer determination and excellent understanding of magic, and also passion as key elements, and also the fact that she had met all other requirements.

Gilda, similar to Maritte, was a very hands-on teacher. Although optional, and with many safeguards in place, students in this class could now actually spar with each other. Those who were disinterested or even afraid of the idea could opt out at their choosing. This pleased both sides, and with it began a new generation of powerful, resilient, and skilled elemental witches and wizards.

Rook, in the same year, became Ikenfell’s new librarian. Maroveux, the previous longstanding librarian, had stepped down, seeking to retire. It came to the surprise of no one, as it was recognized that Rook was, hands down, the resident bookworm of the school. So Ima saw no other candidate than Rook, and ze had little trouble convincing them.

Even though he was often deep within the archives, deciphering the many ancient and mysterious books that lied within, he made sure to set aside time to help students with studies and find the books they need. In their spare time, he also assists Maritte and Gilda with their classes, should either of them need it.

And finally, Pertisia Abednego made a name for herself over the years she spent touring around the world. A year into her career, Maritte Hildegaard began touring with her. They rose to become a world renowned duo. Pertisia’s singing and her piano in conjunction with Maritte’s magic and also surprisingly good singing voice made for world class performances.

They had a certain synergy that could not be replicated or bested. In time, they reduced the frequency in which they toured, but every time they did, everyone was always eager to see them perform, not knowing what they’d witness next.

* * *

Safina and Pertisia’s relationship also began to heal. Over time, it became easier for them to be around each other and talk to each other. Eventually, they even became friends again. Although it would be impossible for them to return to the way things were prior to all of this, Safina was more than happy to accept it.

Safina had also gotten back into contact with Rook. They even began to grow closer together over the years, Rook eventually offering to date her, to give her a second chance. Although there were numerous complications thanks to Safina’s now tight schedule, arrangements were made, and they enjoyed their time together. This was a side of Safina that Rook definitely liked.

Safina additionally maintained regular contact with Maritte, keeping her promise. Although she never got to personally witness it herself, she was proud that her sister, once an ordinary, became a professor at the school she once called home. She considered making a guest appearance one day, just to surprise her.

Everyone had changed so much and found their own path in the world of magic. But this story isn’t over yet.

For there’s still one loose end that still lingers.


	8. Roses are Red

_5 Years Later…_

Safina entered her chamber with a tired sigh. “What a day…”  
  
Guess Mondays never change.

But this was a very special one.

This particular Monday was the final day of the last term at Ikenfell before Summer. And every year, performers would, both from Ikenfell itself and all around, come to prove their worth. And Safina had every intention of seeing it for herself. She’d been so busy these past few years, but now she had a rare opportunity to see what all the fuss was about.

Also… she just so happened to have a date!

Unfortunately, the dress she had worn a few years ago no longer fit her, so she had to acquire a new one. It was similar, but it had more ornate patterns, and was a slightly darker red than before. But it would do.

After changing, and making final preparations, she went to go find Petronella, who was also going to the performance.

* * *

Safina wasn’t surprised to see them still hard at work, though this time in their own personal lab, not the main one. “Jeez Nel, do you ever leave this place?” Safina teased.

Petronella chuckled as they looked up. “Nope!”

They put an end to what they were working on and walked around to meet Safina.

“Ready to go?”

Petronella nodded. “Y-yeah but… are you sure we’ll make it? It’s a bit far…”

Safina shook her head, grinning. “I know a shortcut.” She placed a hand on Petronella’s shoulder and snapped her fingers, them disappearing in a red flash.

* * *

Safina and Petronella appeared at Ikenfell’s gate. She seemed to startle Maritte and Pertisia, who were waiting outside.

“Ah! I… hah, I forgot you could do that!” Maritte exclaimed, putting a hand to her chest.

Safina laughed. “It’s really convenient!”

Pertisia warmly smiled. “Glad you two could make it. Now, shall we head inside? It’s going to start soon.”  
  
They all agreed, and headed through the gate.

On the other side stood Rook and Gilda, who were awaiting their arrival.

“Ohohoho!!! The cavalry arrives!” Gilda commented.

Rook’s eyes fell onto Safina, smirking. “Nice dress, Saf. What’s the occasion?”  
  
That hit Safina with a bit of deja vu. She blushed slightly. “Oh… y-you’ll see…”  
  


* * *

Maritte and Pertisia parted ways with the others as they were going to perform on stage.

They found a seat at the long table to the left, the three sitting together. The seats were quickly filling up. Eventually, the light in the room began to dim, save for the lighting on the stage. A spotlight pointed at Ima, who stood in front of it. The chatter in the hall gradually quieted down.  
  
Ze cleared zir throat. “Hello, students and visitors! Welcome to our annual performance! We have four performers tonight, some familiar faces, some new. Give them a warm welcome, won’t you?”

The crowd cheered. 

“Now, without further ado, let me introduce our first performance. Starting us off, Salia Snow makes her grand return, alongside a new guest, Sara Solar!”  
  
Ima gestured to the stage, revealing the two performers.

As Maritte and Pertisia entered the stage, the crowd went quiet.

Pertisia donned her usual look for performances like this. Her hair was done up in neat curls, and she wore a sparkly, long, blue dress. A scar was still present on her face, but it looked very faint compared to how it was years ago. The eye which the scar had been present on was also open again, the pupil being off white, slightly shaded blue.

Maritte, by contrast, wore a red and gold dress. Her hair was tied up into a ponytail, instead of freely dangling from her head like it did normally.

Pertisia was the one to address the crowd. “Thank you all for coming. When I wrote this song, I was lost and alone. But, in time, I regained my footing, and found my way. I hope that this song helps you all find your way too.”  
  
Pertisia and Maritte nodded towards each other, and began their performance.

What followed was quite the spectacle. It began with a piano solo. Then Maritte joined the performance. Turns out, she was a good singer too. They sang together, their voices and magic in perfect synergy. Flames and crystals danced through the air, the crowd watching in awe. It was a rollercoaster of emotions.

It ended in a beautiful explosion of tiny flames and shards. The crowd cheered, a thunderous applause following.

Pertisia squeezed Maritte’s hand. “You did great.” She grinned.

Maritte blushed slightly. “I only learn from the best!”

The two waved to the crowd, going down the join the group who had saved them a pair of seats.

“Now for our next performers…”

Pertisia and Maritte sat down.

“You two were amazing!” Safina commented.

Petronella quickly nodded in agreement. “Yeah! It’s been ages since I’ve gotten to go to one of these. You two are a really good team!”

Rook and Gilda also agreed.

Maritte and Pertisia’s cheeks flushed in response to the flurry of positive comments.

“T-thanks, guys.” Maritte quietly said.

Pertisia warmly smiled. “I aim to please.”

* * *

The group watched the next two performances, which were interesting in their own right.

There was a fire and water mage duo, their contrasting magic, personalities, and techniques providing a very fascinating experience. Next came a spirit wizard, using his magic to conjure up an impressive ghostly orchestra. There was one last performer for the night though, one that nobody, especially not Safina ever expected.

The spotlight was on Ima again as the spirit wizard left, with a party of ghosts in tow. “Now for our final performance! Please welcome… Aeldra and Ifig!”

There was murmuring throughout the crowd, which eventually transitioned into clapping.

“A-Aeldra? What’s… what’s she doing here?” Safina asked, completely blindsided by their appearance.

“I knew they were into doing cool stuff with plants, but not performing!” Maritte commented.

Rook hummed. “They sure came a long way out here… whatever they’ve got has got to be good.”

Their attention turned to Aeldra and Ifig, who were now on the stage, for what had to be the first time in five years.

They donned very interesting, albeit still dazzling and appropriate apparel. Both were similar to each other, but had different color palettes. Aeldra wore a dress which was a dark green with blood red accents, while Ifig’s was a more bluish green with bright blue accents. They both had this… almost leaf-like texture to it. They both also wore flower crowns, which Maritte remarked was absolutely adorable.

Aeldra began by addressing the crowd. “I thank you all for coming. It has been many years since I’ve been to this place, and so, so much has changed. I think it is high time we both gave you all a performance that will not be forgotten.”

Aeldra and Ifig joined hands, signalling the start of their performance.

And an unforgettable performance it was. A dazzling display of color and shapes. Despite their older age, they were still lively in their movements, and their voices still sang a beautiful song.

Aeldra had truly changed so much over the past 5 years. She looked… happy. Ifig too. Safina had heard of what she’d been up to. She had to admit it was far more fitting than such a high pressure position like headmistress. She had learned of this after Maritte told her about the expedition she went on with Gilda and Rook. Even Ima had come out to go and see the garden for zirself, and was not disappointed by the sight. The gardens Aeldra and Ifig had grown together were beautiful beyond words. As was this performance.

As the performance came to a close, Aeldra and Ifig waved at the crowd, beaming, the applause and the cheers bringing them great joy.

As they were leaving the stage, Aeldra’s eyes briefly met with Safina’s. She had a brief expression of shock, which quickly faded. They exited out through the door.

Safina wouldn’t let this opportunity run away from her. She quickly made chase, slipping out before anyone could notice.

“I never took those two for performers… but that was extremely good!” Pertisia remarked, quite impressed by their performance.

Maritte excitedly nodded. “Right? I thought cool gardens were their thing, but no…”

Rook turned over to where Safina would be. “Hey Saf, what did-”

Except Safina wasn’t there. “Oh, great.”

Their attention shifted towards the now empty seat.

“Come on, let’s split up and look, she can’t be far.” Maritte said.

They all agreed, and looked in pairs.

* * *

Safina caught up with Aeldra and Ifig, who were heading for Ikenfell’s exit.

“W-wait!” Safina called out, coming to a stop, catching her breath.

Aeldra and Ifig turned, a bit startled by the sudden call.  
  
“Well well, if it isn’t Safina Hildegaard. I knew I saw you in there!”

Safina frowned, but was more confused than anything.

As far as she was concerned, Aeldra’s last memory of her was breaking the Summerstone, and was just her being an all around nuisance. So…

Well, she figured she’d just cut to the chase.

“Listen, Aeldra, I…”  
  
“Want to apologize?” Aeldra finished for her.

Safina’s mouth quickly shut, startled that Aeldra so easily guessed her intent.

“Why? You already have.”

Ifig nodded. “She told me about you becoming an Archmage. And she was just as shocked as I was when she first heard the news.”  
  
Aeldra squeezed Ifig’s hand. “You really have grown so much, Safina. A few short years ago you were a reckless, mischievous troublemaker, albeit gifted. Now you’ve grown up into an Archmage! That’s not something to be taken lightly.”  
  
Safina didn’t understand how this was relevant. “B-but, what does it matter? That doesn’t change the fact I made your life here a living nightmare! I practically almost destroyed this place!”

Aeldra’s face fell. “I know. But, understand, that people change over time. We all do, it’s just the way of life. I’m not going to pretend I was a bit protective of this place and its students, and a bit strict.”  
  
“Not that I condone what you were doing, but you’ve changed oh so much. You decided to use your gift for the greater good. Honestly, it’s an honor to know that one of the students in what was once my school rose to such an honorable position, let alone made it into the Coven. Two of you, even!”

Aeldra warmly smiled. “I don’t want you to think of me as headmistress anymore, Safina. I want you to just know me as a simple old lady who enjoys gardening a little too much. In the same vein, I'd like to just think of you as the newest Archmage."  
  
Safina grinned. "And Ifig?"  
  
Ifig glanced towards Aeldra, then back at Safina. "And I am also a silly old gardener... and the caretaker of one of the best cats the world has ever seen!"

Aeldra and Safina shared a laugh at her enthusiasm. Safina reminded herself that she had to one day see this cat for herself.

Aeldra frowned slightly. “That aside, however, remember this, Safina.”  
  
“If it weren’t for you, Ikenfell would be in ruin. If it weren’t for you, we wouldn’t be standing here talking today. Never forget that, okay?”  
  
Safina slowly nodded, prompting Aeldra and Ifig to leave.

“Thank you.” Safina weakly said.

Aeldra smiled back at her, then left Ikenfell once again, leaving Safina in stunned silence.

Safina gazed up at the night sky. It was a truly beautiful night.

So that was it. It… may have taken her longer than anticipated, but she finally completed her plan.

She can finally move on. Truly take the next step in becoming a better person. She felt a certain warmth she never felt before.  
  
Her eyes watered with tears. Tears of happiness. Relief.

Maritte and Pertisia caught up with her.

Maritte slowly approached. “Saf? Are you okay?”  
  
Safina turned around, putting on her signature grin, wiping what tears had begun to form.

“Never better.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And thus concludes this story!
> 
> Like always, I had a ton of fun with this one. This one originated from my first fic (i took it down), and I wanted to do this concept justice. And... I think I've done it? There's a few parts, looking back, I could've done better, but that can be done at any time, I suppose. Nothing bad enough to warrant yet another rewrite, I hope!
> 
> Thanks for reading, if you've made it this far :)


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